Food poisoning by certain microorganisms poses a threat to consumers. For example, Listeria monocytogenes has emerged as a major source of foodborne illness, with a high rate of hospitalizations (88%) and fatality rate (20%). Listeriae are Gram positive, non-spore forming, motile, coccobacilli. Listeria are capable of growth over a temperature range of 1 to 45° C., making the organism a food safety concern in refrigerated foods, especially ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products.
Protecting the consumer from food poisoning hazards is a primary concern of food processors. RTE meat and poultry processors are required by the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) to establish controls to reduce the risk of certain foodborne illnesses. The USDA-FSIS enforces a “zero tolerance” policy for pathogens such as Salmonella spp., E. coli 0157:H7, and L. monocytogenes in RTE products.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for compositions and methods for controlling microorganisms in RTE meat and poultry products.